Baltimore County officials have revealed plans to sell property in a plan that would shuffle the location of a police station, a fire station, and at least one elementary school.

Details are expected to be made public later today but parents and others have been told of a possible relocation in the works for students at Eastwood Elementary to one and possibly two other nearby schools in coming months.

The idea is to put several county buildings up for sale with the proceeds to be earmarked for education funding for such things as air conditioning at some schools.

Kamenetz told WBAL News the real estate sale of the properties would be used to build two new police and fire station locations on existing county land and to fund school improvements.

The properties that could be sold are the government offices at North Point in Dundalk, which includes a police station, the Towson Fire station on York Road, and Randallstown police station on Liberty Road.

The North Point police precinct would be relocated to the Eastwood school, with students possibly moving to Holabird Middle or Norwood.

No dollar figure is available. Kamenetz said they hope to generate the most revenue possible.

The following is the release from Kamenetz' office:

In an effort to generate needed funds for school renovation, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz will seek proposals to purchase three County sites, provided proceeds from the sales are sufficient to cover the costs of updating replacement facilities while still garnering a profit to the County.

This action is a continuation of Baltimore County's efforts to be innovative, responsible, and efficient in re-shaping County government during this fiscal downturn.Creating a Solicitation for Proposal process, Kamenetz directed his staff to conduct a comprehensive review of County property located in commercial corridors that might draw significant interest from the private sector for re-development, creating jobs and generating new County property tax revenue.

Those parcels are:

North Point Government Center

7701 Wise Avenue

Dundalk, MD 21222

Towson Fire Station and Public Works Facility

800 York Road

Towson, MD 21204

Randallstown Police Substation

9113 Liberty Road

Randallstown, MD 21133

In each instance, the County has identified potential substitute locations for the affected County uses, providing for a modernization of the facility as well as the opportunity to generate additional profit that will be redistributed back to the school system for one-time capital projects, particularly air-conditioning.

In a formal, structured process that will still allow for creativity of developer responses, Baltimore County will seek Solicitations for Proposals (SFPs) for each property.If acceptable bids are received, after further negotiation, they will be presented to the County Council for approval.Each parcel is situated on heavily traveled commercial corridors, and with the sale would be restored to the County property tax roll.The SFP will be issued in the next few weeks.

Responses to the SFPs are expected to be completed three months thereafter.County officials will review the proposals and after determining they are both prudent and reasonable will present those recommendations to the County Council for approval within ninety days thereafter.

School Projects to Benefit from Sale

After the cost of replacement buildings, the net proceeds of each sale will fund specific, one-time capital projects, including air conditioning and technology upgrades, for schools located in the communities near the surplus government property."Dr. Dance and I have been working together to identify creative ways to address infrastructure needs in our schools," said County Executive Kamenetz."We are both committed to improving technology and increasing the number of schools that are fully air conditioned, and utilizing these funds is another example of what can be accomplished when we work together."In the two years since Kamenetz was elected, the percentage of schools without air conditioning in Baltimore County has been reduced from 52% to 36%.

The ability to air condition or upgrade technology at additional schools will depend upon the net revenue generated from each sale. For example, if the Towson site generates sufficient revenue, Baltimore County will use those funds to air condition Dumbarton Middle School.If the North Point site generates sufficient revenue, those funds will be used to air condition one or two elementary schools in the southeast area, and to provide technology upgrades to Holabird Middle School.Should the sale of the Randallstown police substation generate sufficient revenue, funds will be used to air condition or upgrade technology for a Randallstown area school.

Eastwood Elementary Magnet School to be Relocated

As part of the continued strong working relationship between the County and the school system, the North Point Police precinct would be relocated to the building that is currently housing the Eastwood Center.The Eastwood Center would be relocated to another building that would allow the school system to expand the Eastwood Center Program to include more students.

Under the proposed plan to relocate the Eastwood program, the school system is reviewing two options that would provide an exemplary educational experience for the students and is seeking community input on the two options.The options under considerationby the school system would utilize Holabird Middle School and perhaps Norwood Elementary.

"If this sale is successfully completed, in effect, we will be able to air condition two additional schools in the southeast as a result of the sale of the North Point Center," said Kamenetz."I am very pleased that we will be able to improve the instructional climate for students and teachers in the area."

Eastwood currently houses 191 students operating at 91 % capacity.Holabird Middle School has a state-rated capacity of 1028 students and has an enrollment of 645, operating at roughly 60% of capacity.Norwood has a capacity of 521 and is currently home to 610 students and is 13.2% over capacity.

"We simply can't afford to operate schools that are nearly one-third empty," said Kamenetz."That's just not an effective use of resources.I really appreciate Dr. Dance and the Board of Education recognizing the importance of taking a hard look at how we do business.Just this year, the school system was able to temporarily relocate Stoneleigh Elementary School to the vacated Carver Center in order to expedite the renovations at Stoneleigh.By all accounts, that move has been very successful, proving that the heart and soul of a school are the parents, teachers, and students.The more we make these kinds of hard decisions, the better it will be for school children across the system."

North Point and Eastwood Recreation Programs to be Relocated in the Area

There are a number of recreation programs that are currently housed at North Point and at Eastwood.Each of those programs will be relocated to nearby schools or community centers.

In addition to the programs, there are also outdoor fields located next to the North Point site that are used for numerous outdoor activities.Several of those fields are actually part of Grange Elementary School and are not impacted at all by this sale.There are fields that are located on the Baltimore County Government property and may be affected by the sale of the property.The SFP will specifically state that whoever bids on the property must either leave the current fields intact and under the control of Baltimore County's Department of Recreation and Parks or provide comparable field space in the community that would be under the control of Baltimore County's Department of Recreation and Parks.

"In today's world, effective management of resources is a necessity," said Barry Williams, Director of Recreation and Parks. "I want to assure the entire recreation and parks community that my staff will work hand-in-hand with them to relocate programs that are currently housed at both North Point and Eastwood Magnet Elementary School. There is no doubt that we will be able to accommodate each and every program, and we won't miss a beat."

North Point Police Precinct to be Replaced

Assuming the sale of the government center property in Dundalk garners an acceptable offer, the North Point Police Precinct that was built as a school in 1953 will be replaced.The North Point Police Precinct will be relocated to a renovated precinct at the site of what currently houses Eastwood Magnet Elementary School.A transition date will be announced within months of approval of the sale by the County Council.Several community groups meet at both Eastwood and the North Point Police Precinct.The County will find space for those groups to continue to meet in the community."Anyone who has visited the North Point Police Precinct knows that this is very exciting news for the police officers who work in Dundalk," said Police Chief Jim Johnson."I look forward to the first roll call at the new facility."

"Being able to attract quality redevelopment to one of the most visible corners in Dundalk will be a real boon to the local economy," said 7th Councilman John Olszewski."I also applaud Dr. Dance for thinking of creative ways to utilize Holabird Middle School.That allows us to avoid closing a middle school, air condition additional elementary schools in the area, while creating space for a newly renovated police precinct.This is really a win-win for Dundalk."

Towson Fire Station to be Replaced

The sale of the Towson fire station site will allow the County to expedite the replacement of the Towson Fire Station that was built in 1958.For any of these projects to move forward, each sale must generate a sales price that the County finds acceptable.If that does not happen, Baltimore County is prepared to reevaluate moving forward with the proposed project.

With that in mind, if the sale of the Towson property generates enough revenue, the Towson Fire Station will be relocated to a site that can still serve its current catchment area.One site identified as a potential location is Towson Manor Park in East Towson.That particular site fronts a major thoroughfare, is bordered by a State office building, the District Court, a parking garage, and an auto repair shop.It is also one block from York Road, one of the busiest commercial corridors in Baltimore County.A portion of this site abuts a residential development.However, 70% of Baltimore County fire stations are located adjacent to residential communities.

The County recognizes that there might be alternative sites that may have been overlooked in the evaluation process, and maintains flexibility in the site selection.Alternative sites must already be owned by the County, of sufficient acreage, and acceptable to the public safety standards of the Baltimore County Fire Department."I appreciate the dialogue I've had with community residents, and we will continue to work with the community to see if there is another suitable site in the area that meets the minimum criteria for a new fire station," said Kamenetz.

"Regardless of where we eventually locate the new building, the news that our fire department will now have a state-of-the art fire station in the heart of Towson is very exciting," said Fire Chief John Hohman.

"The sale of this property not only adds it to the county tax rolls, but it funds much-needed air conditioning at Dumbarton Middle School and construction of a new fire station in the fast-growing Towson community," said 5th District Councilman David Marks."In an era where money is tight, I commend County Executive Kamenetz for his fiscal management, and look forward to engaging the community about the new location of the fire station."

Randallstown Police Substation to be Relocated

The police substation in Randallstown will be relocated to a newly renovated space in the County's Vehicle Operation and Management (VOM) facility that now occupies a former auto dealership on Liberty Road that was recently purchased by the County.The County opened the new facility on November 21, 2012.That site is located at 9428 Liberty Road, Randallstown, MD 21133.

"From the State'sperspective, I am very pleased that County Executive Kamenetz is looking at creative ways to direct funding to school renovation projects," said House Capital Budget Chair and Speaker Pro-Tem, Adrienne Jones."In these difficultfiscal times, it is very important to do whatever we can to improve our aging school infrastructure."

The substation is expected to occupy its new offices by February 15, 2013.As a result of the purchase of the VOM facility, the County will generate the profit from the sale of one building and terminate two existing leases of VOM facilities.The substation building, built in 1966, originally housed the Randallstown post office and was purchased by the County in 2004.

The proceeds from the sale of the building will be directed to Randallstown-area schools. This could include air-conditioning or technology upgrades.

"Anytime you can find creative ways to fund school construction projects that's a good thing," said 4th District Councilman Ken Oliver."Targeting the proceeds from the sale of the police substation to capital projects for schools in my district is a real bonus for the children in the area."